Today's Verse - Psalm 103:13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

—Psalm 103:13

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Compassion!
Not pity, not anger, not shame, not impatience, not intolerance, not rejection, none of this is what God, our Father, longs to share with us. We know this because today's verse declares it. We know it even more by the way Jesus treated children in his busy and overly-scrutinized ministry:

• He welcomed them and placed his hands on them to bless them (Matthew 19:13-15).
• He took the children into His arms, placed His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16).
• He welcomed little children, and held them up as examples for us to follow (Luke 18:15-17)

God cares for our pain, loneliness, emptiness, abandonment, and mistreatment. God cares for us when we are overlooked, neglected, minimized, and pushed aside. God loves us and longs to share his compassion with us. He chose to enter our world and demonstrate his love for us in Jesus.

My Prayer...

Father of mercies and God of all compassion, we thank you not only for knowing and caring about our struggles, but also for sending Jesus to us and for living in us through the Holy Spirit. Because of your mercies, we know your love, grace, and forgiveness. Because of your compassion, we know your might and power released to us and in us through your gentle presence. May your Spirit of compassion be found in our relationships so others can recognize that this grace comes from you. Through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, and through Jesus our Savior, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Proverbs 23:24

The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

—Proverbs 23:24

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The greatest gift I can give my father - whether as a son or daughter - is to be like my Father in heaven, full of righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful loving kindness. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can become people who are characterized by "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Such character qualities as these honor both our Father and our earthly fathers. As children of God, let's live into those qualities, asking for the Spirit's help, and use those qualities and the character of our lives to bring our earthly fathers joy and our Heavenly Father delight!

My Prayer...

Holy and righteous Father, may my life please you and bring honor to my father and his name. I know, dear Father in heaven, that if I please you, it will make my earthly father's heart glad. Please help me as I seek to know and serve you in ways that better display your character in my life. May this bring honor to my earthly father and his reputation, and bring delight to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Philippians 3:20

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 3:20

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

No matter what any passport says, if we are a disciple of Jesus, there is no earthly country that can hold us, no borders that can fully claim us, and no flag that flies above us that can spiritually contain us. We belong to Jesus and are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We have more in common with the believing aboriginal tribesman of Indonesia, the Christian refugees from Africa; the Bedouin brothers and sisters in Egypt; the Spirit-filled Brazilian housewife and her husband; the high-rise believing business person in Hong Kong; the thousands of believers in India, Pakistan, and Asia; and the hundreds of thousands of Christ-followers scattered throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean Rim; than we have in common with your next-door neighbors if they don't know Christ Jesus as their LORD and Savior. And because we are citizens of that holy and heavenly Kingdom, we eagerly await the arrival of our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we live on tiptoe in this world, looking to the horizon, anticipating and awaiting the arrival of our coming King!

My Prayer...

Glorious God and Father, we look forward to the day when people, more people than any of us can count, folks from every nation, tribe, people, and language join the angels and elders around your throne and worship Jesus in joy, together forever (Revelation 7:9-11). Make all of your scattered children from all over our world one, as we await our Savior. We ask you LORD Jesus, please come quickly, and in your name, we pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.